Pro Football HOF makes sweeping changes to selection process - ESPN

The Pro Football Hall of Fame has made sweeping changes to its selection process that include a significant reduction in the number of selectors and the elimination of the separate Seniors category.

Hall of Fame president and CEO Jim Porter announced the changes Friday, and they will take effect as the Hall's Class of 2027 is considered.

«The Hall continually reviews its bylaws to ensure the selection process reflects the highest standards of integrity and the magnitude of election to the Pro Football Hall of Fame,» Porter said in a statement. «There is no more important task at the Hall of Fame than the election of each new class.»

Porter said the changes were made after a 2½-year review of the selection process and were recently approved by the Hall's board of directors.

The board of selectors will be reduced from 50 to 28, as 25 members of the selection committee will be voting members, plus three alternates. There will no longer be at least one selector in each of the home markets of the 32 NFL teams.

Porter said the changes to the size and makeup of the board of selectors were made to avoid «unintended biases» the Hall said might have been a part of the previous selection process.

All players will now be considered in one pool rather than split into either «modern era» or «seniors,» with the latter being players who had had their modern era eligibility expire after 25 years. Players will still be eligible for induction five years after their retirement but will simply remain on the list of all eligible players after that.

There will continue to be Coach and Contributor categories. The Contributor category has been expanded from those who «contributed to the game outside of playing or coaching» to the consideration